The Long Road Home
by BlueWolf83
Summary: How Doug Ross should return to County General... please RR
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own ER, nor do I own any of its characters. although I wish I had me a Carter and a George Clooney/Doug Ross  
  
Coming, ER in two weeks.  
George Clooney returns to the role that made him famous in two all- new episodes.  
  
Carter: [yelling at Doug] Mark is dead! Where were you?  
***  
Doug: [to 25 year old blonde patient, Andrea] Hey, kiddo.  
Andrea: [groggily] Doug. [smiles] you made it.  
Doug: [smiles at her warmly and strokes her hair]  
***  
Luka: [to Doug] So, you're the infamous Doug Ross  
Doug: [grins] That is correct. and you would be.?  
***  
Romano: [to Doug, outside of Andrea's room] How is she?  
Doug: [sighs and looks at his shoes] 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own ER, nor do I own any of its characters. although I wish I had me a Carter and a George Clooney/Doug Ross  
  
John Carter strolled through the ambulance bay doors of Cook County General's ER and made a beeline for the lounge. As he opened his locker, he yawned. For some reason, he had not been able to sleep well the night before. Throwing his bag into the locker, he removed his stethoscope and lab coat and then closed the door. He made his way to the admit desk, only to find Jerry propped up on one elbow asleep at the desk. Carter looked at the board. no patients. Good, he thought. He needed a slow day. He flipped on the television and sat beside Jerry.  
Carter must have fallen asleep because he was awaken a few minutes later by Haleh.  
"Dr. Carter."  
  
"Hmm?... What?..."  
  
"You might want to watch the television." Haleh told him.  
  
Carter sat upright in his seat and looked at the TV, but what he saw made him rise to his feet. A drunk driver had crashed through a fence and into a pee-wee street hockey practice. Carter could see the paramedics assessing the victims who were still on the scene. mostly walking wounded. The rest were already on their way to County.  
  
Carter met the first ambulance out in the bay. "Alright, give it to me." he said as he escorted the victim and paramedics inside.  
  
"26-year-old female, auto versus hockey coach. She pushed some players out of the way. probably saved their lives. BP is 118/70, pulse is 100." the paramedics rattled off some more numbers as the young woman was brought into Trauma 2.  
  
"Hey, sweetheart, can you tell me your name?" Carter asked her as he shone a light in her eyes.  
  
"Andrea. Andrea Tyler," the woman said weakly.  
  
"Hi, Andrea, I'm Dr. Carter." Carter smiled down at her. "Can you tell me where it hurts?"  
  
"My leg. and shoulder."  
  
"Got an ID," Malik spoke up. "Dr. Andrea Tyler, 2nd year resident up in Pediatrics."  
  
As he examined her leg, Carter could see that Andrea had an obvious tib-fib fracture as well as a shattered knee-cap.  
  
"Okay, page surgery." Carter was interrupted as Dr. Weaver came in.  
  
"Alright, what do we. Andrea?!" Kerry stood over the patient in shock.  
  
"Kerry."  
  
"Somebody page Dr. Romano NOW!" Kerry ordered. "Andy, what happened?"  
  
"Drunk guy drove through a fence and into my hockey team. ow!" Andrea winced as Carter ran his fingers across her face.  
  
"Sorry," he apologized sympathetically. "You've got a cut below your eye. It's not too deep; I can steri-strip it for you." Carter trailed off and began to exam her abdomen. "Any abdominal pain, Andy?"  
  
Andrea shook her head as Robert Romano entered the room.  
  
"What's the big emergency? Who paged me?!" His tone changed when he saw Andrea. "Andy."  
  
Andrea grinned. "Hey, Rocket."  
  
"Hey kid. what happened?" Romano asked her in a concerned voice.  
  
Andy tried to move so she could see him better, but fell back on the gurney as pain ripped through her left shoulder.  
  
Kerry pulled Romano aside. "Drunk took out a pee-wee hockey team. Apparently, she pushed a couple of the players out of the way, taking the hit from the car. Robert, her right leg is pretty messed up." She showed him the x-rays that had been taken.  
  
Romano frowned and was joined by Carter.  
  
"She, uh, also has an anterior dislocation of the left shoulder." Carter added quietly.  
  
Romano turned to look at Andrea and sighed. "She might not be able to walk again." he said sadly before walking over to her.  
  
"Dr. Weaver, what.. " Carter began.  
  
"Shhh," Kerry shushed him, knowing full well what he was going to ask. The two watched in silence as Romano explained to Andrea the extent of her injuries.  
"Andy, you're going to go upstairs to surgery now. We'll fix your shoulder and check for damage; you'll be in an immobilizer for a several days." Romano paused. ".. There is extensive damage to you right leg; we're not sure if we'll be able to repair it, but we'll go in and see what we can do. I'll be there with you the entire time."  
  
As Andrea stared at the ceiling, tears fell from her eyes. After a moment of silence, she asked quietly: "Will you call him?"  
  
"Yeah," Romano whispered as he wiped away her tears. "I will." He looked into her frightened eyes and watched as she was wheeled out of the room.  
  
Romano sighed and turned to Kerry. "Kerry, could you please call Doug Ross up in Seattle and fill him in?" he asked in a tired voice.  
  
Kerry nodded silently and walked out the trauma room doors towards the admit desk.  
  
Romano looked at Carter. "I suppose you're wondering how I know that patient.." he said, his voice rising slightly.  
  
Like Kerry, Carter just nodded silently.  
  
"Andrea's my daughter," Romano became angry all of a sudden. He picked up a box of supplies and threw it across the trauma room. He then looked back at Carter with tears in his eyes. "She's my daughter.." he said quietly before exiting the room. 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own ER, nor do I own any of its characters. although I wish I had me a Carter and a George Clooney/Doug Ross  
  
This chapter is NOT finished. : )  
  
Andrea awoke in a daze, her head fuzzy from the anesthesia. She rubbed a hand over her eyes as they tried to adjust to the poorly lit room. She saw someone leaning over her and felt a hand on her face.  
  
"Hey, kiddo,"  
  
"Doug. " Andrea said groggily. "You made it," she smiled a little.  
  
Doug Ross smiled warmly at her and stroked her hair as he sat down on the bed. "How you doing, kiddo?" he asked softly, his voice full of compassion.  
  
"I've been better."  
  
"Yeah." Doug trailed off.  
  
"How are you? Andy asked him.  
  
"I'm doing fine." he examined the cuts on her face.  
  
"How're Carol and the girls?"  
  
"They're doing great. Tess and Kate miss you," he smiled. "And Carol sends her love." He looked at her with sad eyes. "They may come see you, kid."  
  
Andrea smiled. "I'd like that." 


End file.
